Conservation Finance
Ecosystem conservation and forest restoration are very costly, requiring a sustained effort over the long-term. Landowners are often unable to make conservation a viable land use activity given the costs. To support landowners, Paso Pacifico will identify innovative methods for financing private lands conservation including alternative agriculture, payments for ecosystem services, direct payments for conservation and eco-tourism.
More and more, society is realizing that ecosystems provide valuable services to society. These services such as carbon sequestration and water conservation all have a very real economic value. In other countries, successful programs have made it possible for landowners to receive payments for the services provided by their protected forests. Paso Pacifico will team up with other experienced organizations and policy-makers to develop a ‘payments for ecosystem services’ program that is viable for Nicaragua.
Photo: Fresh spring water falls on a farm in the Paso del Istmo Corridor
Endangered species are often worth more alive than they are worth dead at a local market. Considering this, Paso Pacífico will help local communities gain access to the monetary value that the global community assigns to certain species. This might be possible by directly paying communities for conserving endangered species or by developing eco-tourism activities surrounding the species of interest. For example, local communities managing eco-tours to visit sea turtle nests will likely earn more than if they were trafficking poached turtle eggs. Paso Pacífico is currently working to identify tourism projects with the local community adjacent to the La Flor Wildlife Refuge, a globally important sea turtle nesting beach located in the Paso del Istmo corridor.
Photo: A local youth collects sea turtle eggs to sell at a local market
